Augmented Reality generally refers to altering a view of reality. Artificial information about a real environment can be overlaid over a view of the real environment. The artificial information can be interactive or otherwise manipulable, providing the user of such information with an altered, and often enhanced, perception of reality. However, Augmented Reality is still a relatively new area of interest with limited present-day applications. For instance, the first-down line often seen in television broadcasts of American football games is one example of a limited application of Augmented Reality.
The iPhone®, iPad®, more recent Android-platform smart phones, and Android tablets offer an array of technologies not seen before in mobile handheld devices. The high bandwidth connections, Global Positioning Systems (GPS), and high-speed processors and positional sensors offer new opportunities in the field of Augmented Reality.